Customers can spend significant time waiting while in a store. Waiting in line at the checkout counter of a store, and standing at the counter while one's purchases are rung up, can frustrate shoppers at a store. Delays in checkout may become so frustrating to shoppers in some cases that they abandon their purchases and walk out of the store without buying, causing the store to lose revenue.
Programs called “Checkout Coupon” and “Checkout Direct” are provided by Catalina Marketing, Inc. of St. Petersburg, Fla. These programs deliver coupons or other incentives to the point of sale and may be targeted to the individual customer. Catalina Marketing, Inc. also sponsors an in-store instant-win game to give customers incentives to shop at stores for which the game is made available.
It would be beneficial both to customers and to retail establishments if the shopping experience, and particularly the process of checking out purchases, could be made more entertaining for the customer. A store that is able to make the shopping experience more entertaining may gain a competitive advantage and draw customers away from other stores.